When I Think of You, I Think of You Fondly
by saviorskillian
Summary: Emma Swan felt like she never had a place in this world. That all changed when Killian Jones walked into her life. At a chance encounter, private bondsman Killian Jones runs into Emma Swan chasing after a perp in the woods. She accepts his help after she is homeless and her car breaks down outside of Storybrooke.
1. prologue

**Hi guys, this if my first multichapter. I will try to update it regularly. Hope you like it! Rating will be changed as story progresses if needed.**

 **Beta'd by the lovely the-saviors-pirate on Tumblr.**

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 **prologue**.

Edwin Moore. Thirty-seven years old, two hundred and nineteen pounds, six feet and two inches. Killian read his target's profile. He had been watching him for the past week, tracking his every move. Edwin was a thief. Ran off with $200k of gold precious gems he had stolen from his previous boss in Santa Clara. Moore had suddenly quit, saying that he would be moving to Storybrooke, ME. His boss checked inventory that night and found that the jewelry and baubles were missing. She called Killian the following day, and he had been on the lookout for anyone new arriving in his town. Four days later, a pickup truck hauling a U-Haul trailer passed the town welcome sign. Killian waited a few days and let him get settled in before he really cracked down on observing him.

Ten days later and Killian was watching as he took a large navy blue, velvet box with him into the woods. Time to make my move, he thought.

With quiet footsteps, he followed behind Moore as he ran through the woods. Tripping over a tree root, Killian fell. He managed to keep his groan of pain quiet but he had to roll behind a bush as Moore heard the thud and looked around frantically in Killian's direction. Alerted that he might not be alone, Moore ran faster.

Killian checked his wounds. His left knee was scuffed and his nice Levi's had a hole in them. As he fell, he had hit his elbow as well and a sharp pang came from it. Rolling back the sleeve of his gray sweatshirt, he looked at his right elbow. That would surely be a bruise. Shit, he thought.

Getting up, he tried to find Moore again. The trees were quiet around him, everything deadly still, other than the sound of a squirrel scurrying around.

Frustrated, Killian walked off toward the direction he thought he had seen Moore run. After ten minutes of searching, it was evident he had lost his mark. Killian began the long trek back toward his truck.

He was about two miles out from town, but he wasn't about to even try to walk it. His injured leg had him limping and he eventually had to sit down and rest. Finding a large rock to sit on, Killian pulled out his phone. No new messages, no new notifications. It was well past two o'clock and he had been aiming to be back at his office with Moore before 1:30.

Looking up he admired the scenery. Maine's woodlands truly were a beautiful place and he had always enjoyed the sight since moving here from Boston two years prior. The snapping sound of a twig tore Killian away from his thoughts.

Getting up, he quietly followed the sound until he found an old yellow bug on a dirt road that came off the highway farther down from where he had left his truck. Curious as to why it was there, Killian inspected the vehicle. He looked inside and found a pile of clothes in the passenger seat as well as a blanket and two pillows laid out across the back seat. Someone is living here, he realized. He pulled out his phone as he turned around to a blonde woman with a frying pan.

She struck him with it and the last thought he had as he faded out of consciousness was how beautiful she was.


	2. one

**Hi guys, this if my first multichapter. I will try to update it regularly. Hope you like it! Rating will be changed as story progresses if needed.**

 **Beta'd by the lovely the-saviors-pirate on Tumblr.**

* * *

 **one.**

Emma Swan never had a home in her life until she made her own. She was always tossed around, foster home to foster home and never stayed in one city for more than a year. The most stable her life had ever been was when she was staying with this one woman named Ingrid.

Emma had been fourteen years old and for a while, things were great. One day she suddenly thought that Emma had "magical powers" and tried to make her use them. She pushed her out into traffic and Emma barely avoided being hit by a car. After that, she was done. She ran away and never looked back.

Sixteen years later, Emma had a successful career as an office manager in Boston until she was suddenly fired. "It wasn't anything you did, finances are just in a bad place and we can't afford to keep you. I'm terribly sorry," her boss had told her. Yeah right.

With her keys in her hand, Emma climbed up the stairs to her apartment where she found a pink slip on her door. 'Evicted' was stamped across diagonally. She looked to the bottom to find out how long she had to move.

"Twenty-four hours?! How am I supposed to move all my stuff?" she questioned out loud.

 _Deep breaths, Emma. It's not like you haven't gone through this before._

She headed inside with determined steps. She went to her bathroom and packed up all her toiletries. She grabbed her pillows and her chargers and a few outfits and put everything in her bug. She grabbed her box of strawberry Pop-Tarts, a few pots and pans, her box of memories, and headed out the door. Leaving the apartment key in the lock, she ran down to her bug. She put everything on her passenger seat and put they key in the ignition.

Leaning her head down on the steering wheel, she cried. _I have nowhere to go. I can't stay here anymore._

She turned the key and the bug came roaring to life. She left the apartment complex and got on the first entrance to the freeway. _I'm just gonna keep going until I can't go anymore._

She drove north. She kept driving until she couldn't go anymore. She was out of gas. She exited the freeway and the first lights of morning appeared in the sky.

She kept driving down the road as far as she could go. On her way, she passed a sign. 'Welcome to Storybrooke.' If she hadn't been worried about running out of gas, she would have thought about how funny a name for a town it was.

Finding a secluded area outside of town, she parked the car. Getting out, she got a blanket and her pillows from the trunk. Laying them out across the backseat, she decided to try to get a few hours of shut eye before trying to find a job, gas, and a proper place to stay. She would have to freshen up of course, but that was a problem for later.

She closed her eyes and fell asleep in a fitful slumber.

It was well past noon when Emma woke up. Checking her phone to see what time it was, she saw that it was almost two o'clock. She got out and stretched. Spending too much time cramped up in a tiny car can really hurt your back. She drank some of an old bottle of water that she had found in her car. She tried to browse her phone but eventually gave up (damn service towers). She looked up from her phone when she heard heavy footsteps and the drag of a foot across the ground. She obviously was not alone. She quietly opened the back door of her bug and grabbed the first weapon-like thing she could find: a frying pan. It'll have to do.

Running to the other side of her bug, she crouched down in anticipation of the intruder. She heard someone walk up to her bug. She heard the sound of a hand being thrust against a window. She heard the person's heavy breaths. Quietly walking around her car, Emma lifted up her frying pan, ready to strike. In that exact second, the intruder chose to turn around. Emma didn't wait and quickly swung her weapon, effectively knocking them out.

She watched as the intruder's limp body fell to the ground. Throwing her frying pan to the side she slowly walked up to him. He had brown hair and reddish-brown scruff. He had the longest eyelashes she had ever seen. He truly was a beautiful man. He was dressed in a gray 'Storybrooke' sweatshirt with a pair of jeans. Looking back his body, Emma noticed a hole torn around his knee, along with a large cut. The wound was caked with blood and dirt.

Getting up, Emma went to her trunk and dug out her first aid kit. Moving around a lot, you never know when you may get hurt and when you don't have anyone else to rely on, you learn to take care of yourself. Maybe if she took care of him, he would be able to make it to town. She would never have to see him again.

Emma bent down at his side. She took out the peroxide and cleaned his wound, put a bandage over it for protection. Once she was done, she put the first-aid kit up and shut the trunk. Walking back to the handsome stranger, she thought about what to do with him. Once she had an idea, she took his body and dragged it across the clearing to a tree and leaned him up against it. His limp body fell back against her. She had to push him back up into a sitting position.

As she got up to leave, she heard him groan. Not wanting to be there when he woke, up she went back to her car and put her frying pan back. She locked up her old bug and began to run in the direction she came from the night before. With her heart pounding, Emma turned toward the road and ran into town.

Further into town, Emma saw neon lights. 'Granny's' the sign read. She walked up the steps and through the door, the chime of it alerting the owner of a new visitor.

"Hello, welcome to Granny's," greeted a brown-haired waitress. She was skimpily dressed with red streaks throughout her hair. She wore bright red lipstick and looked at Emma with a grin that could only be described as wolfish.

"Hi. Uh, I'd just like a grilled cheese and onion rings and hot chocolate with whipped cream and cinnamon on top, please." Looking at the girl, Emma also noticed she had a nametag that read 'Ruby.'

"Okay! Coming right up!" Ruby walked to the back with the sheet of paper she had written Emma's order on as Emma took a seat at the bar. A few locals glanced her way, as she was clearly an outsider. This was a small town, where everybody knew everybody. And if they didn't know you, they knew you were new.

Emma took out her phone and tried to find a Wi-Fi signal. What kind of restaurant doesn't have free Wi-Fi these days? She couldn't find anything.

She looked up from her phone as a plate and mug were placed in front of her and the aroma of melted cheese and grease filled her nostrils. The Ruby girl was back and still smiling at her as she leaned forward on the counter. "So, what brings you here? We usually don't get any new visitors."

"Well, I was just passing through until my car ran out of gas. I'm hoping to get a few gallons and head on my way."

"Oh, well Billy is our resident mechanic. I'm sure he can help you out. Would you like his number?"

"That would be great," Emma said, relieved.

Ruby wrote the number down on a blank order sheet and passed it to her. Emma called the number and Billy said he would be there in a few minutes.

Billy arrived twenty minutes later, red gas can in hand. Emma stood up from the bar and placed $10 on the counter to cover her meal and ran out the door.

Billy was a kind looking man with warm brown eyes. He was wearing a grayish-blue mechanic suit and looked her way as she walked his way.

"You must be Emma Swan," he greeted.

"Um, yes. My bug is about two miles out from town. I couldn't get it any further so I just parked her there," She pointed in the direction where she left it.

"If you could just take me to it, I could have a look and have you on your way in no time. Just hop in." Billy opened the door for her. Emma climbed in and directed him to where she left the bug, hoping that by now, the strange man would be gone.

She was relieved to find that they were alone when the truck stopped by her car. Billy walked up to the back of his truck and grabbed the gas can. Emma directed him to her fuel tank was.

Billy gassed her up then waited for her to start her car. Emma walked to the driver's side and got in. She put the key in the ignition and tried to start the car. The engine would rumble then puff out a cloud of gas in the back. "Come on you piece of shit! Don't fail me now!" Emma cried. She tried two more times to start the car with no luck. "Fuck!" she yelled as she leaned forward and beat the dash. Now, Emma had no car, no money and no place to live. She was doomed.

"Okay miss. I can tow you back to town if you would like," Billy offered.

Emma looked up and gazed straight ahead. She couldn't look at him now, if she were about to say what she really needed to ask.

"I can't pay you," Emma couldn't even look him in the eye. It hurt her pride too much.

Billy was quiet for a second. "Normally I don't do this, Miss, but if you would like, I could fix up your car and you pay me later. I'd hate to see a lady stranded only because she couldn't afford it. All I asked is you stay in town and work it off. It doesn't have to be at my shop, but if you get a job elsewhere, I'll need you to pay me back when you can."

Not realizing she had been crying, Emma wiped the wetness from her eyes. Clearing her throat, she said, "That's very nice of you."

Emma got out of her car and walked back over to Billy and his truck. She walked around to the passenger side and climbed in.

Billy drove Emma over the diner again. "Walk around, and the other side is an inn. Since you're going to be working off the money, you're going to need a place to stay. I'm pretty good friends with the owner's granddaughter, Ruby, so I'll talk to her and see if I can't get her to allow you to stay there for free, if not, pay later."

Emma was stupefied. "You don't have to do that for me. I can handle it."

Billy stopped her. "No, I insist." He walked ahead of Emma and headed into the diner. Emma stood outside and thought about what she would do now. You can worry about it tomorrow, she told herself.

Walking back to where the bug was still hitched, she grabbed her overnight bag and pillows, along with her keepsake box. She walked into the inn. An older woman with gray hair and glasses stood at the counter and greeted her as she entered. "Hello, I don't think I've ever seen you before."

"Hi. My name is Emma Swan. I'm new here. Uh, I need a room for one."

"Okay. Forest view or water?" asked the woman. Emma guessed that not many people stay the night in Storybrooke.

"Uh, water is fine." Granny Emma assumed her name was, handed her the key.

"Enjoy your stay."

Emma went up to her room. It really did have a stunning view.

When Emma was younger, one of her foster families brought her to the beach. She had always enjoyed the water, the serenity of it all. It brought her a sense of calm.

Now, the water still had the same effect. It calmed her frantic nerves. For now, she had a bed to sleep in, food to eat, and access to running water. Access to running water? Emma decided she was going to take a shower.

She stripped her clothes and padded into the bathroom. She hit the light switch and the room was illuminated. She walked over to the tub and started the water, as hard as she could stand it. A hot shower would calm her nerves and wash away the dirt from the day. Allowing the water to heat up, she walked back into her room and grabbed her toiletries. She set everything out on the counter and grabbed her sponge, shampoo, conditioner, and soap. Stepping into the spray, she set everything down on the edge of the tub, then turned her head into the spray. The warm water felt heavenly on her flesh.

Standing in the spray, Emma thought about the events of the past 48 hours. She went from having a successful job and nice apartment to being reduced to her car and the few items she could take with her, having to leave everything else behind. It was nothing of value anyways. She thought about how she woke up in the forest the next day, of how great it felt to be out of the cramped car. She had slept in the car before, being a runaway orphan and ex-thief left you without much money.

She then thought about that intruder. The noise in the woods. Emma had expected she was alone, then some random man comes up to her car and starts looking inside. Emma's glad she wasn't still in it.

She remembers the rush of swinging the frying pan, the thud it made as metal connected with skull. She remembered the look of surprise in her gorgeous blue eyes- _Wait, gorgeous? Since when did I think of a man's eyes as gorgeous?_ \- and the thud! his head made as it hit the ground. Emma remembered the groan of pain he made as he lost consciousness.

She remembered examining the man's body as it laid on the ground. She remembered her sudden urge to help him with his injury. She never does that. _I wanted him to be able to make his way back to somewhere far away from me. That's why I helped him. No other reason_.

She remembered moving the unconscious man's body to the tree on the other side of the clearing. She remembered the struggle of trying to get his body to stay in a sitting position.

She remembered running into town, finding Granny's. She remembered meeting Ruby, the fiery waitress whom she later learned was the owner's granddaughter. She remembered Billy, and his kind offer to allow her to pay him back later for fixing up her old bug.

She had been through a lot in the past two days.

Shaking her head of her thoughts, Emma went to shampooing her hair. The last shower she had taken was before she went to work two days before.

Emma took time to cleanse the dirt from her body. When she finished, she put her hair up in a towel and wrapped her body in another as she padded to the counter where she had her phone charging. It was almost 8 pm. Emma decided it was best if she went to bed. She hadn't gotten much rest the night before; being cramped up in the bug isn't exactly the most comfortable position to get a good night's rest.

Brushing her hair and teeth, Emma then got into her pajamas. Digging into her overnight bag, she found her favorite book, an old paperback of _The Princess Bride_. Emma had this ever since she 'borrowed' it from the school library in Minneapolis before she was moved around once more. She would read it ever so often; now the pages and cover were bent and tattered.

Emma took comfort in the rereading of the tale until she got tired. Around 9, she turned off her light and set the book on her nightstand. She made sure her phone was charging then turned off the light and turn onto her side. She would have to find a job, but she would worry more about that tomorrow. Her last thoughts were of the gorgeous blue eyes of the strange man she had helped.


End file.
